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I Have Stage 4 Melanoma: Chris on Faith, Scanxiety, and New Treatments
Chris K., Melanoma, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptom: Swollen lymph nodes in the neck Treatments: Surgeries (lymphadenectomy, wide local excision, reconstruction), Immunotherapy (neoadjuvant immunotherapy – ipilimumab and nivolumab, PD-1/LAG-3 combination – nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw through a clinical trial)
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Motherhood, Horses, and HR+ Metastatic Breast Cancer: Joelle’s Story
Joelle E., Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Severe nausea, very low weight gain during pregnancy, profound fatigue, difficulty walking, lack of milk production in right breast, intermittent nipple inversion, severe bone pain (right hip) Treatments: Targeted radiation therapy, hormone therapies (tamoxifen, leuprolide), targeted therapy (CDK4/6 inhibitor – abemaciclib)
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Bile Duct Cancer at 27: Morgan’s Path to Answers, Care, and No Evidence of Disease
Morgan O., Bile Duct Cancer (Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma) Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea, severe abdominal pain, dark urine, itching, clay-colored stool, significant weight loss, jaundice Treatments: Surgeries (liver resections), chemotherapy
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Finding Her Voice: Anjee’s Path Through Metastatic Kidney Cancer
Anjee A., Kidney Cancer (Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma with Rhabdoid Features), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptom: Appearance of blood in urine Treatments: Surgeries (radical nephrectomy, adrenalectomy), immunotherapy (pembrolizumab), TKI inhibitor (axitinib), HIF-2α inhibitor (belzutifan)
Adrenalectomy, axitinib (Inlyta), Belzutifan, Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2 Alpha (HIF2α) Inhibitor, Immunotherapy, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Kidney Cancer, Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Nephrectomy, Patient Stories, Radical nephrectomy, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Surgery, Targeted Therapy, Treatments, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) -
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Itchy Skin, Night Sweats, and a Neck Lump: Alexia’s Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms
Alexia S., Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Symptoms: Night sweats, intense itching and rash on wrists, legs, and feet, fatigue and falling asleep mid-conversation, shortness of breath, dizziness, blurry vision, appearance of neck lump and chest mass Treatments: Chemotherapy (ABVD, BV, and BEAM), immunotherapy (nivolumab), autologous stem cell transplant
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Michelle’s Accidental EGFR+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Diagnosis
Michelle W., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Stage 2B, EGFR+ Symptoms: None; discovered by chance during a checkup for persistent head and neck pain Treatments: Surgery (lung resection), chemotherapy (upcoming), targeted therapy (upcoming)
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Living With Stage 4 Stomach Cancer: Kris’ Story of Movement, Faith, and Community
Kris M., Stomach Cancer (Signet Cell Ring Carcinoma), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Trouble swallowing and pain when more food was eaten than usual, significant weight loss Treatments: Chemotherapy, immunotherapy
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From Hip Pain to Metastatic Breast Cancer: How Mom and Teacher Erica Shows Up for ALL of Her Kids
Erica H., Breast Cancer, Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Stage 1: appearance of lump in left breast; Stage 4: severe pain in hip, ribs, spine, and shoulder blade Treatments: Surgeries (double mastectomy, reconstruction), chemotherapy, cold caps, radiation therapy, hormone therapy (aromatase inhibitor, letrozole), targeted therapy (CDK4/6 inhibitor, ribociclib), integrative care
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Tongue Cancer at 37: Brittany’s Misdiagnosis, Major Surgery, and Finding Her Voice Again
Brittany Z., Tongue Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue and Lymph Nodes), Stage 4 (Metastatic) Symptoms: Painful tongue rash, loss of mobility, severe ear pain Treatments: Surgeries (partial glossectomy, lymphadenectomy, tonsillectomy, tracheostomy, feeding tube placement, tongue reconstruction), radiation therapy, chemotherapy (cisplatin)
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From Breast Surgeon to Breast Cancer Patient: Liz O’Riordan’s Surreal Story
Liz O’Riordan, Mixed Ductal-Lobular Breast Cancer (MDLC) Symptom: Appearance of lump in breast Treatments: Chemotherapy, surgeries (lumpectomy, breast reconstruction, mastectomy), radiation therapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy
